ou are with me we want him."

"What! that house which seems so sound asleep"--

"Exactly! La Huriere, now go and make practical use of the plausible
face which heaven, by some blunder, gave you, and knock at that house.
Hand your arquebuse to M. de Coconnas, who has been ogling it this last
half hour. If you are admitted, you must ask to speak to Seigneur de
Mouy."

"Aha!" exclaimed Coconnas, "now I understand--you also have a creditor
in the quarter of the Temple, it would seem."

"Exactly so!" responded Maurevel. "You will go up to him pretending to
be a Huguenot, and inform De Mouy of all that has taken place; he is
brave, and will come down."

"And once down?" asked La Huriere.

"Once down, I will beg of him to cross swords with me."

"On my soul, 'tis a fine gentleman's," said Coconnas, "and I propose to
do exactly the same thing with Lambert Mercandon; and if he is too old
to respond, I will try it with one of his sons or nephews."

La Huriere, without making any reply, went and knocked at the door, and
the sounds echoing in the silence of the night caused the doors of the
Hotel de Guise to open, and several heads to make their appearance from
out them; it was evident that the hotel was quiet after the manner of
citadels, that is to say, because it was filled with soldiers.

The heads were almost instantly withdrawn, as doubtless an inkling of
the matter in hand was divined.

"Does your Monsieur de Mouy live here?" inquired Coconnas, pointing to
the house at which La Huriere was still knocking.

"No, but his mistress does."

"By Heaven! how gallant you are, to give him an occasion to draw sword
in the presence of his lady-love! We shall be the judges of the field.
However, I should like very well to fight myself--my shoulder burns."

"And your face," added Maurevel, "is considerably damaged."

Coconnas uttered a kind of growl.

"By Heaven!" he said, "I hope he is dead; if I thought not, I would
return to the Louvre and finish him."

La Huriere still kept knocking.

Soon the window on the first floor opened, and a man appeared in the
balcony, in a nightcap and drawers, and unarmed.

"Who's there?" cried he.

Maurevel made a sign to the Swiss, who retreated into a corner, whilst
Coconnas stood close against the wall.

"Ah! Monsieur de Mouy!" said the innkeeper, in his blandest tones, "is
that you?"

"Yes; what then?"

"It is he!" said Maurevel, with a thrill of joy.

"Why, sir," continu